Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L41/00—Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
  • H04L41/08—Configuration management of networks or network elements
  • H04L41/0896—Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L41/00—Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
  • H04L41/22—Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04Q—SELECTING
  • H04Q3/00—Selecting arrangements
  • H04Q3/64—Distributing or queueing
  • H04Q3/66—Traffic distributors
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L12/00—Data switching networks
  • H04L12/54—Store-and-forward switching systems 
  • H04L12/56—Packet switching systems
  • H04L12/5601—Transfer mode dependent, e.g. ATM
  • H04L2012/5619—Network Node Interface, e.g. tandem connections, transit switching
  • H04L2012/5623—Network design, dimensioning, topology or optimisation
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04Q—SELECTING
  • H04Q2213/00—Indexing scheme relating to selecting arrangements in general and for multiplex systems
  • H04Q2213/13141—Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04Q—SELECTING
  • H04Q2213/00—Indexing scheme relating to selecting arrangements in general and for multiplex systems
  • H04Q2213/13145—Rerouting upon failure
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04Q—SELECTING
  • H04Q2213/00—Indexing scheme relating to selecting arrangements in general and for multiplex systems
  • H04Q2213/13146—Rerouting upon blocking/overload, rearrangement
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04Q—SELECTING
  • H04Q2213/00—Indexing scheme relating to selecting arrangements in general and for multiplex systems
  • H04Q2213/13164—Traffic (registration, measurement,...)

Definitions

• This invention relates to the partitioning of a communications network.
• a network planning process involves several competing targets.
• the network should be compact and flexible to operate, and easy to expand.
• the network capacity and investments are planned to follow the expected transmission needs and the actual sales of transport services.
• the first network investment of the operator must be reasonable in size, but big enough to ensure credibility and the near future growth of the network. In other words, a certain minimum coverage of the network is needed, and the growth of the network must be secured technically and economically at the same time.
• the traffic in the network can be high or low capacity traffic, and dynamic or stable traffic in relation to the time period.
• the objective of the invention is to alleviate the above-mentioned drawbacks. This is achieved in a way described in the claims.
• the idea of the invention is to divide the logical connections of a communication network into several partitions, each partition representing a certain type of transmission traffic, such as access or regional traffic.
• the partitioning is based on simple criteria: capacity of an endpoint of a logical connection, representing a node; distance between a pair of endpoints, and traffic category representing the stability of the traffic.
• capacity of an endpoint of a logical connection representing a node
• distance between a pair of endpoints and traffic category representing the stability of the traffic.
• Figure 1 illustrates different types of transmission traffic
• Figure 2 illustrates the inventive method as a flow chart.
• FIG. 1 illustrates what different types of transmission traffic can be found in a communication network.
• the vertical axis shows the capacity demand of the traffic, and the horizontal axis shows the need of rerouting in a large physical area, i.e. the stability of the traffic.
• P1 represents large capacity traffic, such as optical trunk traffic. Usually the optical traffic between endpoints in the backbone trunks of a communications network is stable, i.e. there is no need for rerouting traffic in a large physical area in relation to a certain period.
• P2 represents traffic in a regional level (such as a city area). Capacity needs are not as high as P1 has, but the traffic is more dynamic.
• P3 represents low capacity traffic, such as leased cellular network traffic for small businesses.
• the starting point for the whole network plan is all desired logical connections (traffic requirements) that specify the endpoints of the logical connections, capacity of the endpoints, and the descriptive category (traffic type) of the logical connections (e.g. mobile phone traffic, interswitch traffic, data, leased line).
• the goal of the partition process is to divide the logical connections into separate partitions.
• the criteria that define a good partition are:
• Equipment capacity is efficiently used. Not too low to get a good utilization percentage, and not too high to have some room for growth. The growth estimates are different for different types of traffic.
• a single partition contain a specific category of logical connections (traffic type).
• the category can be used to deduce how likely it is that the endpoints of the connection are going to change.
• traffic between PSTN switches in large cities is very stable and high capacity while leased line traffic used e.g. by a group of shops is likely to change.
• Special software can do the partition for separating the desired traffic from the logical connections.
• the designer chooses the capacity and distance limits, and the right category.
• the partition it is easier for the designer to plan the network, taking into account different traffic types, equipment costs, and future growth.
• Figure 2 illustrates the invention as a flow chart.
• the input information is the logical connections of the network.
• the information contains all traffic demands for all kinds of traffic types.
• the software offers a possibility to select limits (21) for finding certain logical connections from all the logical connections. The limits are based on the above-mentioned simple criteria.
• the software forms two partitions (22): the primary partition which contains the logical connections inside the selected limits, i.e. the partition which is desired to be formed first, and the secondary partition, which is the rest of the logical connection outside the selected limits.
• the software shows (23) graphically the primary partition to the designer, who can decide if the primary partition is acceptable. If the designer wants to change the partition made, it can be repeated (24).
• a new partition from the secondary partition can be formed (25).
• the same steps (21 ,22,23,24) are done for the new partition: selecting limits, forming two partitions, showing the primary desired partition (the latest one) graphically, and changing the partition, if needed.
• the partition of the secondary partition can be repeated until all desired traffic types have been separated into the separate partitions.
• the last partition is the latest secondary partition, which is shown graphically (26) finally.
• the minimum number of partitions is two when the secondary partition is shown graphically after the primary partition is accepted. In this case new partitions from the secondary partition (25) are not required.
• the designer can route and equip the network nodes separately in each partition. The partitions are connected together for getting the whole picture of the network.
• the inventive software and the method offer an effective way to take into account different requirements of network planning: future growth, cost-effectiveness, reliability matters, and so on.
• the invention is described in a way that three parameters (capacity, distance, and traffic type) are taken into account in the partitioning, it is possible to use another number of parameters, such as only two parameters: capacity and traffic type. Or it is possible to use more than three parameters for forming a desired multidimensional domain for the limits using in the partitioning.
• the invention is a method that can be used in many implementations and network solutions, in the scope of the inventive idea.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
• Data Exchanges In Wide-Area Networks (AREA)
• External Artificial Organs (AREA)
• Pharmaceuticals Containing Other Organic And Inorganic Compounds (AREA)

Priority Applications (5)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=8558478

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Cited By (3)

Citations (3)

Family Cites Families (11)

• 2000
  • 2000-05-31 FI FI20001314A patent/FI20001314A/fi unknown
• 2001
  • 2001-04-26 AT AT01931735T patent/ATE554562T1/de active
  • 2001-04-26 US US10/296,808 patent/US7257627B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2001-04-26 ES ES01931735T patent/ES2386312T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2001-04-26 WO PCT/FI2001/000403 patent/WO2001093504A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2001-04-26 EP EP01931735A patent/EP1285510B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2001-04-26 AU AU2001258439A patent/AU2001258439A1/en not_active Abandoned

Patent Citations (3)

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